Terrorist threat in EU remains high despite the decline of Daesh in Iraq and Syria

BRUSSELS, In 2017, 68 innocent victims lost their lives as a result of terrorist attacks in the European Union (EU) � reason enough for Europol not to reduce its efforts in combatting terrorism in all its forms, according to Europol’s 2018 EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT), published today.

”Even though the number of casualties decreased last year, the number of attacks on European soil did not. The number of jihadist-inspired attacks more than doubled, noted the report, which provides a concise overview of the nature of the terrorist threat the EU faced in 2017.

“To fight terrorism, it is essential to have optimal information exchange and accurate data,” said Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle.

Nine EU Member States reported a total of 205 foiled, failed and completed terrorist attacks in 2017 (2016: 142). This is a 45% increase compared to 2016 and a shift from a downward trend that started in 2014.

These attacks killed 68 victims and left 844 injured. Nearly all casualties (62) were the result of jihadist terrorist attacks. The number of jihadist terrorist attacks grew from 13 in 2016 to 33 in 2017.

“Terrorism will continue to be a threat for the world, Europe, our citizens, our security and our way of life for the foreseeable future. Europol’s annual report leaves no doubt that the problem affects all of us equally, and we can only address it with collective action, unity of purpose, and above all trust. A genuine and effective Security Union in Europe is the surest way to tighten the screws on terrorists until they no longer have space to commit their atrocities”, added Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship.

“As this latest EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report shows, Europe continues to be a target for terrorism � we need to keep our collective eye on the ball, and strengthen our efforts at EU level to deny terrorists the means they need to carry out attacks including arms, explosives and funding; work on evolving areas such as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats; and continue to tackle radicalisation and all types of violent extremism”, highlighted Julian King, European Commissioner for the Security Union.